Busnelli-Massironi (Playteam Ferrari) Take Third Win and Championship Lead
• Lietz-Camathias (Autorlando Porsche), only 7th, are now 5 points behind • Livio-Pasini (Advanced Eng. Ferrari) again second, also in standings • Sixth Victory for the La Torre Vipers in GTS; Romagnoli takes lead • Winning come-back for Escudería Roger in GTB, with Van Zoest-Arias
Monza, 6 October 2007 Max Busnelli and Mauro Massironi won with authority the Pro-Am race in Monza, clinching their third success of the season and the sixth for the Playream SaraFree squad. The pair also took the lead in the overall standings of the series, while Lietz-Camathias (Autorlando Porsche), only seventh today, slid to third in the championship, 5 points behind. Stefano Livio and Damien Pasini (Advanced Engineering Ferrari) obtained again a brilliant second place ahead of Alessandro Bonetti-Matteo Bobbi (GPC Ferrari) in a race which saw the 430s dominating in the fast Italian track. Busnelli overtook his team-mate and poleman Montermini in the first chicane, after the latter missed the breaking point, and gave the car with a 15” lead to Massironi. Riccardo Romagnoli and Elio Marchetti took another victory for the Scuderia La Torre’s Vipers in GTS ahead of the Racing Box Viper of Moncada-Pellizzato and Dutch-Spanish pair Henk Van Zoest and Chano Arias signed a winning come-back for the Escudería Roger in GTB, imposing their Ferrari 430 Challenge. PADDOCK RUN-DOWN- It is no less than 43 cars that go into scrutineering on Thursday afternoon. The only no-shows are the Porsches of teams Ebimotors, Antonelli and GDL, together with the Ferrari of F2 Motorsports. GPC Corse is unfortunately obliged to withdraw its Ferrari 430 # 28 entered for Valentini-Meneghello, as the car diagnosed with an engine problem at the moment of leaving to Monza. But there are a number of changes also with present entries.
In the Sun Red # 15, Zapata will be sharing the wheel with Francesc Gutiérrez, while Peter Terting moves to Ferrari 430 Challenge # 50 that the Spanish team enters in GTB. GPC brings a fourth Ferrari 430 for Valentini-Meneghello, while Philipp Peter is now associated with Marco Frezza on car # 19, Bobbi having joined Bonetti on # 18. GT spacialist Andrea Belicchi is back to the series, in Racing Box’s Porsche 996 #30, with Roberto Del Castello. Reviewed line-up also at Scuderia La Torre with the first Viper (# 33) driven by two of the team’s regular drivers, Romagnoli-Marchetti, and Sabatini-Sangiuolo joining the Roman team on car # 34 (the latter pair usually drives the Proteam Viper, which went destroyed in Oschersleben). As far as the the Lamborghini Gallardos of Mik Corse are concerned, they will race in the hands of Fattori-Pinato and Gabbiani-Bonaldi (Gabbiani being Gian Maria, son of Beppe, the former F.1 driver). Finally, Gianni Giudici and Alessandro Nannini have switched the Ferrari 360 for a 340 Challenge and nominated drivers of the two French Vipers of the Ruffier Racing are Laforge-Baudouin and Ruffier-Morel.
QUALIFYING 1- Needless to say, Qualifying 1 turns, still in cool conditions on Saturday morning, quickly turns into a ‘big guns’ session, which ends with seven Ferrari 430s in the seven first positions. Last-minute pole is for Andrea Montermini (Playteam), followed by five other cars in less than 3 tenths! Busnelli completes the all-Playteam first row, while Brazilian Daniel Serra (RCA) is third ahead of Pasini (Advanced Engineering), Peter (GPC), Sundberg (RSV) and Gattuso (Advanced Engineering), while the GTA Mosler is the first non-Ferrari, just in front of the series leading Autorlando Porsche. GTS class sees the first pole of a Porsche 997, the one of Sofrev ASP driven by Morgan Traffort, who beats the Racing Box and La Torre Vipers, while in GTB former WTCC star Peter Terting sets the fastest time at the wheel of the Ferrari 430 Challenge entered by Sun Red, beating class leader Gianni Giudici. Two cars do not participate in the qualifying: the Racing Box of Azzoli-Mocci (blown engine in free practice) and the Villois Aston Martin of Petrini-Wiser, also hit by technical problems.
RACE REPORT – The Pro-Am race (ran on 26 laps instead of the 30 initially planned) starts with the absence of the AC Andorra Ferrari 430 (following the accident of Cerqueda jr in Qualifying 2) and of the GTA Mosler (mechanical problems). Poleman Montermini is the fastest at the start, but maybe too fast as he misses the breaking point at the first chicane and drives through the grass leaving the lead to his team mate Busnelli. Behind, Peter (GPC Ferrari) spins taking Romero (RSV Ferrari) with him in the gravel, while also Martins (Escuela de Pilotos Porsche 997 Cup), Savary (Sofrev Ferrari 360), and Fattori (Mik Lamborghini Gallardo) get tangled and out of the race. For Romero and Savary the race is already over. Busnelli leads ahead of Montermini on the two Playteam Ferrari, Pasini (Advanced Eng. Ferrari 430), Serra (RCA Ferrari 430), Casé (Advanced Eng. Ferrari 430), Gutiérrez (Sun Red), Jacoboni (Autorlando Porsche 997 Rsr), Romagnoli (La Torre Viper), Belicchi (Racing Box Viper) and Bonetti (GPC Ferrari 430). In lap 5, Serra passes Pasini for third while the Autorlando Porsche of Jacoboni spins and hits the armco. Soon after, in lap 9, there is a rough contact in the second chicane between Gini (Ferrari 360 Challenge) and De Castro in the Marcos.
As we go into driver changes, it is still Busnelli leading ahead of Serra, now second, Montermini, Pasini (all within 5 seconds), Gutiérrez, Bonetti, Belicchi, Camathias and Casè. Romagnoli leads in GTS ahead of Pelizzato (Racing Box Viper) and Traffort (Sofrev Porsche 997) and Giudici (Ferrari 430) who was dominating in GTB spins and has leaving Arias (Roger Ferrari 430) on top of the class. After the pit stop is Massironi leading comfortably (14”) over Livio, Bobbi, Zapata, Gianmaria (these last two in close and lively fight), Maceratesi, Longo, Frigerio (the last two also fighting hard), Frezza and Lietz. Lap 21 sees two spectacular punctures for Nannini and Clucas with the Ferrari being forced to retire. In lap 23, Gianmaria finally manages to pass the Sun Red of Zapata grabbing 4th position, while also Lietz is charging up to conclude in 8th position.
The GT Open race (24 laps) will take place today at 13:00 hrs and broadcasted on Eurosport 2 at 14:45 hrs CET.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 11 Overall: 1. Busnelli-Massironi (Playteam Ferrari), 117 p. 2. Livio-Pasini (AQdvanced Engineering Ferrari), 113 3. Lietz-Camathias (Autorlando Porsche), 112 #4. Montermini-Maceratesi (Playteam Ferrari), 104 5. Bonetti (GPC Ferrari), 96 6. Roda (GPC Ferrari), 86 7. Sundberg-Romero (RSV Ferrari), 85 8. Peter (GPC Ferrari), 84 #9. Aicart-Guerrero (GTA Mosler), 77 10. Mowlem (GPC Ferrari), 76 11. Giudici (Giudici Ferrari), 72 12. Bobbi (GPC Ferrari), 64
GTA: 1. Busnelli-Massironi (Playteam Ferrari), 48 2. Pasini-Livio (Advanced Eng. Ferrari), 47 3. Maceratesi-Montermini (Playteam Ferrari), 43 4. Lietz-Camathias (Autorlando Porsche), 42 5. Bonetti (GPC Ferrari), 40
GTS: 1. Romagnoli (La Torre Viper), 56 2. Marchetti (La Torre Viper), 54 3. Geri (Racing Box Lamborghini), 53 4. Ciocci (Racing Box Lamborghini), 43 5. Lancieri-Romanini (Villois Aston Martin), 42
GTB :1. Giudici (Giudici Ferrari), 76 2. Gini-Arlotti (Gini Ferrari), 60 3. Nannini (Giudici Ferrari), 32 4. Ricci (Sofrev Porsche), 24 5. Balthazar-Beaubelique (Sofrev Porsche), 22
